Refrigerator gasket



. c. 10, 1935. H. DARBYSHIRE 2,023,917

REFRIGERATOR GASKET Filed Jan. 21, 1951 2. Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 10, 1935.L. H. DARBYSHIRE 2,023,917

REFRIGERATOR GASKET Filed Jan. 21, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/I/II/II/ImPatented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATOR GASKET Leonard H.Darbyshire, Detroit, Mich, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Borg-Warner Corporation, a corporation ofIllinois Application January 21, 1931, Serial No. 510,132

4Claims.

This invention relates to a flexible sealing means for closures and hasspecial reference to sealing the doors of refrigerators and the likewherein an air leak will have detrimental effects due to wastage of thecold air within the refrigerator and the infiltration of warm air fromthe room. 7

It is an object of this-invention to provide an improved door seal forthe purposes described adapted to bridge the gap or clearancenecessarily provided when mounting a metal sheathed door on a similarcabinet, the seal at the same timecovering the adjacent edges of theinner and outer casings to give a finished appearance to the door. Thepresent invention is, therefore, an improvement on the various forms offlexible weather stripping and serves a dual purpose in its specialfield. The principal form of this invention is made of rubberized fabricwrapped overa soft and easily deformed elastic core to provide thedesired seal and further wrapped over a second and stiffer core whichcan be bent away from the plate of the base mounting to extend over theedge of the door lining which laps over the base mounting. In a secondform of the invention, a rubber stock is vulcanized to form. resilientair cushions which perform the work of the previously mentioned cores.In a third form of the invention a hollow rubber bead is supported by aseries of rubber bridges which give resiliency to the bead and simplifythe formation and vulcanizing of the sealing strip.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved andattractive door trim for lipped doors that wig sealingly engage the faceof the door frame which also serves to conceal the seam or adjacentedges of the covering material in the case of metal clad doors.

Another important object of the present invention resides in theprovision of an improved form of gasket which is so constructed as toeliminate direct fastening or other retaining means aside from the metaldoor covering which itself acts to hold the gasket in position.

Other and further important objects of this invention will beapparent-from the disclosures iigg the specification and theaccompanying draw- This invention (in a preferred form) is illustratedin the drawings and hereinafter more fully described:-

Figure 1 is a front view of a refrigerator cabinet, which figure isprovided to identify the sec- Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectionon the line 11-11 of Figure 1 showing the application of the principalform of this invention to the door and the sealing action thereofagainst the door frame.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section of the sealing strip embodying theprincipal form of this invention.

Figm'e 4 is a fragmentary section similar to Figm'e 2 showing theapplication of a second 10 form of this invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section of the second form of sealingstrip.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section similar to Figure 2 and showing athird form of this in- 15 vention.

Figure 7 is an oblique bottom view of the third form of sealing strip.

The domestic refrigerator cabinet l0 chosen for illustrative purposesincludes a refrigerating 20 chamber I I, closed by a door I! and amachinery compartment covered by a panel 13. As shown in the detailsections, the cabinet is formed with frame or comer post it covered by acasing i5 and the refrigerant chamber is formed with a 25 lining l6which forms the inner wall of the cabinet. The edges of the casing I5and lining l6 terminate in the door opening and are covered witha-removable beveled throat lining l1. The door is formed with a framework It covered by 30 an outer casing IS the edges 20 of which areturned over to form a lip overlapping the door opening, the inner faceof the door being covered by a dished panel 2| which enters the dooropening but has ample clearance from the throat lining il. Suchclearance is especially necessary if the various metal coverings are ofenameled steel, for example, due to possible damage thereto orvariations in manufacture due to the firing of the enamel coats afterthe forming of the linings or panels.

The principal form of this invention is shown inFigures2and3.InFlgure3thenumeral22 represents a fabric coated with a layer of rubber23, the fabric being cut into strips of suitable width and one edge 24folded about a filler member 25 which may be composed of Kapok, live orsponge rubber, cotton, or the like, this. material being required tohave sufficient e or 50 resiliency to exert a slight but continuedsealing pressure whendeformed as shown in Figure 2. The folded over edge24 is then folded over a second and smaller filler 26 wherein stiifnessis desirable aswell asresiliency orlife since the function of thisfiller is to form a bead not particularly subject to intermittentdeformation. This filler may also be made of rubber, or of cordmaterial, for example. The edge of the material is then disposed beneaththe previous fold and the three layers of rubberized fabric are securedby one or more rows of stitches 21. As shown in Figure 3, two rows ofstitches are provided, the right hand row serving as a hinge about whichthe second or smaller bead may be bent to allow the insertion of theedge of the inner door covering or panel 2|, after which the elasticityof the rubberized fabric causes the head 26 to slightly overlap andconceal the edge of the panel. The free or remaining edge 28 of therubberized fabric is tacked to the lip of the door before the innerlining or panel 2i is applied so that the edge of the panel overlaps thefree edge 28 of the fabric and is in turn concealed by the bead 26.

r The second form of this invention as shown in Figures 4-and5 differsfrom the foregoing in the material and method of construction. This formis'molded from rubber in an integral structure wherein hollow beads 29and 30 are molded on an integral base and the second or smaller head isthen undercut as indicated by the line 32 so that this head isdisplaceable or hinged as indicated by its dotted line, positions inFigure 5.

A small bead 3| is formed on the base and is adapted to be clampedbetween the door framework l8 and the dished panel 2| to retain thegasket in position. In this construction the closed form of the hollowbeads imparts the necessary resiliency thereto so that the head 29recovers its initial form after being deformed as indicated in Figure 4by the closing of the door.

The third illustrated form of the invention is a modification of thesecond form and. while shown as a single bead is equally applicable tothe double bead form. In this form a base member 33 is molded along oneedge into an open bottomed dome or hollow bead 34. The bead is caused toretain its initial shape by" means of a plurality of cross partitions orbridges 35. The single bead thus not only seals against the door framebut also serves to conceal the edge of the door lining because of thesquare shoulder provided between the bead and the base member.

It will be noted that the various embodiments of this invention allprovide means whereby visible fastening means for the gasket or stripare 5 eliminated. This desirable feature is accomplished by having thefree edges of the gaskets extend underneath the door panels where theyare tacked or otherwise secured, the securing means being concealed bythe panels when in normal position.

It will thus be seen that I have invented an improved sealing strip forthe purposes described that will be eflicient as a seal and also serveas a trim for concealing unfinished edges of the 010- sure.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details ofconstruction may be varied through a wide range without departing fromthe principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purposelimiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by thepriorart.

I claim as my invention:

1. As an article of manufacture, a sealing strip including a rubber basestrip having spaced hollow beads formed integral therewith, one of saidbeads being partially separated from the base strip to permit angulardisplacement thereof relative to the base strip.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sealing strip comprising rubber stockformed into a flat strip with a hollow bead formed along one edge, thebead portion'being supported by a plurality of elastic transversebridges.

3. As an article of manufacture, a sealing strip comprising rubber stockformed into a deformable hollow head, the bead being supported by aplurality of elastic transverse bridges.

4. A gasket for refrigerators and the like com- 40 prising an elongated,flexible, substantially flat strip having formed integrally therewithalong one edge thereof, an arcuate bridge, said bridge comprising spacedsupporting portions terminating in the plane of said strip substantially5 in perpendicular relation thereto.

LEONARD H. DARBYSHIRE.

